The Ivy League is a group of eight highly regarded universities in the northeastern United States, including Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. Admissions requirements vary, but typically include exceptional academic performance in challenging courses, high standardized test scores, impressive extracurricular activities and achievements, and strong letters of recommendation. Admission is highly competitive, with acceptance rates often in the single digits, and some schools may require additional application materials like essays or interviews.